Roll stacking device



May 28, 1963 w. J. NEUHAUSER ROLL STACKING DEVICE Filed Nov. 14. 1960WILLIAM J. NEUHAUSER 3,091,348 ROLL STACKING DEVICE William J.Neuhauser, Jefferson County, Ky., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company,Richmond, Va., 21 corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 14, 1960, Ser. No.69,139 1 Claim. (Cl. 214-10.5)

This invention relates generally to a roll stacking device and, moreparticularly, to a stacking device which both supports and spaces rolls.

Roll stacking devices are broadly well known in the prior art. However,the use of such devices for stacking heavy foil rolls, for example,necessitates using special equipment or a great deal of manpower toremove a roll from a stacked position.

In accordance with the present invention, therefore, there is provided aroll stacking device which serves as both a support and a spacer andalso enables a conventional fork dolly to be used in removing a rollfrom a stack. Each stack of rolls is self-supporting and does not dependon laterally adjacent rolls or stacks for stability. Each roll issupported at only two spaced points along the periphery of the roll.Furthermore, the roll stacking device is made adjustable so that it mayreceive rolls of different diameters.

For a better understanding of the invention and its other objects,advantages and details, reference is now made to the present preferredembodiment of the invention which is shown, for purposes ofillustration, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of two rolls supported on two pairs of rollstacking devices embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the V-shaped blocks of thestacking device illustrated in FIG. 1;

'FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified stacking device embodyingthis invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a portion of FIG. 4; and

'FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show various prior art roll stacking methods.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 there are shown two pairs ofidentical roll stacking devices 10a, 10b, 11a and lllb. Device 10a, forexample, incorporates substantially trapezoidal extruded metal blocks 12and 13. Aligned rectangular bores 14 and 16 are formed in the short endwall 18 and the opposite longer end wall 20, respectively, of block 13.The upper wall 21 has a flattened portion 21a, and the lower wall 22 hasa flattened portion 22a. A rectangular metal rod 23' is passed throughthe bores 14- and is Welded at one end thereof to the wall 20' of block1 3. The other end of rod 23 has formed therein a plurality of verticalbores 24 for receiving a pin 26.

When it is desired to stack a roll 25 on the device 13, pin 26 isremoved from one of the bores 24 and block 12 is moved horizontally tovary the distance between the blocks. The distance is chosen such thatroll 25 is engaged at only two points by blocks 12 and 13. Block 12engages roll 25 at point 32 and block 13 engages the roll at point 34.Pin '26 is inserted in the bore 24- nearest the left end wall of block12. after the proper horizontal distance is selected and in effect locksblock 12 against movement to the left.

Since the stacking device 10a is a symmetrical device, it may be placedon top of another roll 35, thereby allowing one roll to be stacked uponanother. Roll 35 is supported by stacking device 11a whose lowerflattened portions 22a rest flush on a floor 36. .As shown best in FIG.2, a pair of stacking devices 11a and 11b rest on flattened portions 22aon floor 36 to support roll 35 and space the 1 ted States Patent 03,991,348 Patented May 28, 1963 roll from the floor. A pair of devices10a and 10b rest on top of roll 35 to support roll 25 and space roll 25vertically from roll 35. The use of stacking devices 10 and 11 allow aconventional fork dolly to insert its lifting fork in spaces 37 and 39to remove rolls 35 and 25-, respectively, from the stack.

A modification of stacking devices 10 and .1-1 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5in the form of a stacking device 38. Device $8 may be made of wood andincorporates two horizontal elongated members 40 and 41 made of a strongwood, such as oak, each having formed in one end thereof a plurality ofhorizontal bores 42. A horizontal wedge-shaped block 44- is rigidlyaifixed to the left hand end of members 40 and 41, whereas a movablewedgeshaped block '46 is slideably mounted on the right hand end ofmembers 40* and 41. Block 46 has formed therein a plurality ofhorizontal bores 48 which are adapted to be aligned with the bores 42and members 40 and 41 to receive a stop pin 62. The blocks 44 and 46 areeach formed of three wedge-shaped pieces 50, 5-2 and 54 of plywoodseparated by oak spacing blocks 55 and 57.

In use, stacking device 38 is adapted to rest flush on a floor to formthe bottom member for a stack of rolls in a manner similar to devices11a and l l b in FIG. 2. As described in connection with the stackingdevices illustrated in FIG. 1, block 46 is horizontally movable so thatthe space between blocks 44 and 46 may be adjusted to receive a rollplaced thereon and be engaged at only the two points on the inclinedsurfaces 58 and 60 in the same fashion as shown in FIG. 1 so that theroll is spaced from members 40 and 41. Pin 62 is placed through bores 42and 4-8 to lock block 46 in place.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show various prior art ways in which rolls have beenstacked. In FIG. 6, rolls A and C must be positioned first before roll Bcan be stacked. Then roll B is placed on top of roll C and rolled intoits stacked position. Wedge blocks 72 and 73' maintain the rolls inposition. In unstacking roll C must be manually restrained while it isslowly inched away from roll A to permit roll B to be lowered slowly tothe floor by its own weight. Usually, the rolls are damaged duringhandling, and, in addition, a three-man crew is required for safetyreasons. The restraining of roll C is accomplished by manpower, becausethe pair of spaced, parallel runners 74 on which the rolls are stackedprohibits the use of mechanical means.

FIG. 7 shows a roll stacking method wherein a lower pair of spacedparallel runners 76 are provided for carrying a lower row 80 of rolls.Wedges 82 and 84 at each end of row 80 maintain the rolls in position.However, the Wedges are affixed to the ends of the runners and,therefore, it is required that the lower row 80 be completely filledwith rolls before an upper row 86 is formed. Row 86 is formed by placinga pair of spaced parallel runners 88 on top of the rolls in lower row80. The upper row is filled by placing the first roll on the right handends of runners 88 by means of a fork dolly, then manually rolling thefirst roll to the extreme left hand position. The following rolls areplaced similarly until the upper row is completed. This very commonmethod of stacking heavy rolls is relatively unsafe and requires athree-man crew.

FIG. 8 shows a simple method of stacking rolls in which the rolls arestacked end on end. This fairly common method of stacking rolls requiresthe use of a special attachment, such as a roll grab, for the dolly andat the same time limits the use of the dolly to this type of operationso that it cannot be used for other jobs.

The advantages of the stacking devices '10, 11 and 38 are obvious whenFIGS. 1 and 2 are compared with FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. The stacking devicesare adjusted so that the rolls do not touch the center portion of thedevice, but rather touch the stacking device at only two points asdescribed previously. Such an arrangement provides free-standing stacksfrom which rolls may be removed undamaged and easily by a conventionalfork dolly operated by one man.

While present preferred embodiments of the invention have beenillustrated and described, it will be recognized that the invention maybe otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of thefollowing claim.

What is claimed is:

A roll stacking device for supporting and spacing one roll above anotherin a free-standing vertical stack, said device likewise being adaptedfor supporting the lowermost roll of such a stack, comprising a rigidelongated member, a pair of support blocks retained in alignment alongsaid member, means for varying the spacing between blocks, each of saidblocks having a long end wall, a short end wall, upper and lowerinclined walls sloping outwardly away from said elongated member andinterconnected at their innermost ends by said short end wall, andflattened portions substantially parallel to said elongated memberinterconnecting said long end wall and the outermost ends of saidinclined walls, the corresponding flattened portions of said blocks onone side of the elongated member providing laterally spaced supports for4 stabilizing the stacked rolls when the device is employed beneath thelowermost roll of the stack, the blocks being disposed along said rigidmember with their short end walls facing each other, whereby thecorresponding inclined walls of said blocks thereby define upper andlower substantially V-shaped roll-receiving portions of the device, thatportion formed by the lower inclined walls of,

the blocks being adapted to rest on opposite sides of the lower roll ofa pair to be stacked without contact between said roll and the elongatedmember, and the upper inclined walls providing a roll-receiving portionto receive and support the upper roll free of contact with said lowerroll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,802,917 Kennedy Apr. 28, 1931 2,334,336 Lathrop Nov. 16, 19432,377,803 Morner June 5, 1945 2,611,495 Weaver Sept. 23, 1952 2,701,648McBath Feb. 8, 1955 2,810,602 Abrams Oct. 22, 1957 3,019,916 MalcherFeb. 6, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 760,927 Germany July 19, 1954

